DUI suspect John Chase leads police in vehicle pursuit in Vacaville

Police arrested a Vacaville man suspected of driving under the influence Tuesday night following a brief chase in which he allegedly hit a police cruiser and another vehicle.

John Chase, 65, was taken into custody shortly after 10:09 p.m. after a pursuit of almost a mile that ended after he crashed into a fence on Davis Street, according to Vacaville police Sgt. Pat Williams, supervisor of the department's Crime Suppression Team.

Minutes earlier, a detective driving in the area of Peabody and Marshall roads reportedly spotted Chase driving erratically and attempted to pull his vehicle over, Williams said. However, when the detective activated his lights and siren, Chase allegedly accelerated, speeding west on Marshall Road.

Reaching speeds up to 50 mph, Chase allegedly blew through several stop signs as he tried to escape from the officer, Williams reported.

Continuing down Marshall Road, Chase drove into oncoming traffic and collided with the first vehicle, Williams said. He immediately turned back into his own lane before swerving again into oncoming traffic, where he collided head-on with a police vehicle assisting in the pursuit.

Chase allegedly continued driving, traveling through a field and onto Davis Street, where he plowed through a chain-link fence before finally coming to a stop in a front yard in the 1000 block of Davis Street, Williams said.

Chase was not injured during the incident, but was examined by Vacaville Fire Department paramedics, police said.

He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, evading police and hit and run, and was booked into Solano County Jail, authorities reported.